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A Day in Paris When It Snowed
One day last week the blackbirds (merles in French) were chirping away in a choral cacophony of song at at 5:30 am. I wondered if springtime was around the corner -- in mid-January! That springtime moment was short-lived. Thirty-two departments, including Paris and Ile-de-France, were placed under snow warnings. Saturday was going to be a snow day in Paris. Météo-France and our Echo-dot, Alexa, confirmed that the snow would begin by 11 am Saturday.
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Noël Voyage in Paris
Paris Sparkles during the Holidays. Take a Paris Voyage with Colleen's Paris on small street of the Bastille, the department store decorations and rooftops, watch the lights come up on the Champs-Elysées and see Avenue Montaigne lit up, a carrousel in the Tuileries Garden and be mystified at the blue velvet column of the Bastille.
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Artisanal Shop Brings New Flavours to the Bastille
On my way to the oriental pastry shop Diamande along the Rue Sedaine in the Bastille, I noticed a new just-opened épicerie. I was tempted to stop for a glass of wine on its terrace (i.e., the sidewalk). When I walked into the shop, the man behind the counter looked familiar even behind his mask: the eyes, the Tintin-spiked haircut. “You resemble someone”, I said. “Who”? he asked. I proceeded to say the television personality who visits French producers and chefs riding up on his red and white checkered tricycle. Bingo! Voilà! Loïc Ballet and his childhood friend, Elodie Charras have opened an artisanal shop selling products (condiments, wine, cheese, charcuterie, oils,…
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Paris Markets Wrapped in Plastic
Life at the Parisian market has taken on a new form. The market is wrapped in plastic wrap. I could only look on. The scene was very surrealistic. On May 13 the markets reopened with new sanitary guidelines. The last time I visited the Bastille Market at Boulevard Richard Lenoir was March 22. Plastic crates separated the shoppers to provide distance. On March 23, the Mayor's office closed all outdoor and indoor markets. The ban did not include the grocery stores. Who needs a straw shopping basket ("panier") to carry around anymore? Market shopping is now available online for home delivery. The delivery order goes through Mayor's Office website, takes…
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Saying Goodbye to Icons in the Bastille Neighborhood
Living in a small neighborhood of the Bastille, the hardest phrases to hear over the last year have been: "We're closing and retiring" and "They have sold the shop for their retirement": Holmes, the stationery store, and now à la Petite Fabrique, the chocolate factory. Holmes was transformed into an upscale Italian restaurant and word is that Alain Ducasse is buying the Petite Fabrique.... The neighborhood in the area of Hugo's Les Miserables and the French Revolution has gone upscale.
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Paris Food Markets
Food Markets in Paris Visit the Paris Mayor’s market page for opening times or click on the market basket on the home page. The day and hours information is kept current. Key words to understand from the Paris Mayor’s market page: réouverture = reopens 06eme = 6th arrondissement (75006) 05eme = 5th arrondissement (75005) 1er = 1st arrondissement (75001) Marché aux fleurs et aux oiseaux Cité = Flower and bird market Ile de la Cité demain = tomorrow The market links are in real time. Aujourd’hui (today), Demain (tomorrow) and the next day of the week … If you see Fermé in red, this means there is no market. Click…
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December Snow Storm In Paris
Paris was paralyzed on December 9, 2010. Small trucks at Place Pigalle were spinning their tires. Men had to get out and push them through the stop lights. The roads were full of ice. The buses could not move because the cars could not move. The city was falling apart! The finger pointing started almost immediately. The debates were in full swing on radio and television whether or not Metéo France had given sufficient warnings (they had)! Television weather people were interviewed about their presentations. Aeroports de Paris (ADP) had to refute the claim of unpreparedness. Ile-de-France was being attacked by giant snow flakes! The snow arrived during late morning…
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Fête de la Musique: Bastille and Marais
The first day of summer in Paris changed in 1982. The Fête de la Musique was born. After 29 years, the event does not show a wrinkle; it gets better with time. June 21 is a Monday in 2010. The streets are not as packed as when the date falls on a weekend. Rue Saint-Sabin, however, is jamming with a DJ and we are forced to reach Boulevard Richard-Lenoir via rue Sedaine. Any of our detours are not a problem because music is on practically every street in the neighborhood. When you visit Paris on June 21, you can try to get into the events at Palais-Royal, Musée d’Orsay or…
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A Paris Friday Night in May
On the streets of Paris, you can have a plan but always be ready for the unplanned. On this Friday night, a statue lighting event led to crossing paths with feet moving faster than mine and the search for perfection with small, tedious retakes on a movie set. I wanted to go out Friday to see a lighting ceremony and fire works on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. It was a lighting ceremony of Henri IV’s statue. The king was a major source of new building and architectural style in the 1500s (think Place des Vosges where he built a his and hers palace).
